289 fia valve covers

[Paul Webster]

Does anyone know where i can get a set of these or who could make me a set ? Thank you

[CSX2345]

Cobra Automotive Inc. out of Wallingford, CT

https://store.cobraautomotive.com/sh...alve-covers-2/

[Sargie]

Get a set of 289 stamped steel valve covers and take them to a local shop and weld the tubes and supports. Paint or powder coat in grey if you are doing a vintage build. I really like the way they look under my hood.

[Paul Webster]

Cobra automotive wants almost $500.00 for. Set ???tgere must be someone on here who can do it reasonable ?

[mr bruce]

the "real " ones were made from the early 260-289 valve covers, didn't have the flat spot where the breather is, the early motors were oiled thu the intake manifold, later engines thu the breather, depends on how 'real" you want to get. I got a set of the early rocker covers, but thems going on my car, the $500 is a good price if you ask me

289 FIA Valve Covers - Club Cobra Photo Gallery

[LMH]

On original covers, there were a series of baffles brazed in the breather tubes. The tube was then brazed onto the cover.
Larry

[jknich]

You could buy two sets of these Circle Track Stock Car valve covers:

https://www.competitionproducts.com/...info/PVT47225/

[EZ$]

If you have any issues with clearance of the rockers, you can contact www.champpans.com and get a set that looks very much like the original stamped steel covers, and they will put as many breather tubes as you want. I believe they were well under $100. If you decide to go with the shorter covers and still have clearance issues, I have a set of 1/2" billet spacers from Mike Fortes that are available for $120.

[CompClassics]

That’s the problem with some people, they do not realize what it takes to fabricate the end result with these kinds of hand made parts. Let alone utilize all the same procedures and tools that SAI used to fabricate the parts. Then there is the finish that was applied to the parts, painted or cadmium finished.
Then there’s the parts that are originally castings, patterns have to be produced, parts have to be cast (usually in minimum quantities), castings have to be machined and then properly finished as per the originals.
I know all about these costs as I reproduce parts as stated above, they are very expensive and TIME consuming. How much is your time worth?

Here’s a perfect example………

I fabricate all the SAI versions of the 260/289 competition Cobra Weber throttle linkages for both the opposed and the parallel intake manifold variations. Not only do I have to hand fabricate all the individual levers for the carbs I hand fabricate the, bell crank tower, the bell crank arm, rivet the bell crank arm and bearing, fabricate the push/pull rods, track down the original type rod end bearings and bell crank bearing that have not been manufactured in decades and cost at least $100 each, fabricate the manifold center shaft rod, fabricate the aluminum hex bar links, fabricate the center shaft levers after having a tool made to properly form the levers, then there’s the cadmium plating. I also provide all the correct period hardware not the stuff you get at the local hardware store.
I do this because SAI spent the time and energy to make these Weber systems WORK on the cars they were racing, that is hard earned development time that no one running these systems can reproduce themselves. Yeah you can go buy somebody else’s “Weber linkage” for a fraction of the cost of mine and 9 times out of 10 you will be cursing at your Weber system because it does not operate correctly and 9 times out of 10 it will be because of the throttle linkage, inferior rod ends or the way that it was setup that is causing the problem.

[Paul Webster]

I didnt ask for. Manifesto ❓i just asked if there was a set out there i could maybe buy from someone? The new ones from some companies are about $500.00 shipped un- coated........

[LMH]

Originally Posted by Paul Webster

I didnt ask for. Manifesto ❓i just asked if there was a set out there i could maybe buy from someone? The new ones from some companies are about $500.00 shipped un- coated........

The point being is buy the set for $500. If I were to build a proper set, they'd be $500 each!
Larry

[CompClassics]

You could always do what the fabricators do, spend the time and money on tools and materials and learn to fabricate it yourself. $500 is cheap considering what just the welding equipment costs.

[Paul Webster]

Im pretty sure if i can rebuild a Rolls Royce turbine i could handle the little valve covers, does anyone know the tube sizes or angles of the side supports ?

[LMH]

The tube diameter would be the same as standard Ford tubes using push-on breathers. Not sure off hand what that is but I can measure it on my covers when I’m home. Angles could figured by mocking the tubes up in cardboard on covers mounted on an engine. Same with the braces. The GT350 style breather setup you’re looking at had a baffle inside the cover.
Larry

[Paul Webster]

Bump.........

[LMH]

So the breather tube on an original Cobra valve cover measures 1-3/8" OD with a wall thickness of .065". I see McMaster-Carr sells 4130 in that size, stock # 89955K129.
I also found a couple pics online similar to what you were looking at. These are original GT350R covers modified by SA. Note the baffle inside the covers.





Larry

[KarlzEE Bebout]

"You could buy two sets of these Circle Track Stock Car valve covers:"

This is exactly what I did. Got them from Speedway. Not nearly as nifty as the originals but not a bad set up and definitely different from the garden variety SBF covers.

[jknich]

Karl, Did you clearcoat over the gold zinc finish?

[Harpoon PV2]

Here is an old thread, Show me your Valve Covers if you go down towards the bottom, they have a set that looks a lot like two of the Speedway four breather covers, with little gussets and painted grey, with the decals. Pretty sharp looking! It looks like the FIA racing crews were constantly experimenting, so unless you have photos of one car at one particular race that you are trying to copy, I would say anything goes!

[KarlzEE Bebout]

JK, I had the valve covers powder coated that sorta-tan color old SBF's had. I should have had the second stage clear powder coating applied. I think they would have resisted staining a little better. Oh well....PATINA!